Pequea Valley townlively.com
JANUARY 3, 2024
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LX • NO 2
Making Purple People
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For Lancaster city kids, SWAN song is beginning, not an end BY JEFF FALK
There are few things more detrimental to development than kids growing up without parental figures. Conversely, there are few things that possess more healing power than music. Scaling Walls A Note at a Time (SWAN) is performing some wonder ful work with music and kids in the School District of Lancaster who have
been affected by their parents’ incarceration. An organization without a brick-and-mortar building or office, SWAN is currently ser ving about 80 Lancaster city kids ages 5 to 17. “SWAN’s music and mental health program is a unique and innovative model,” said Diana Vuolo, SWAN’s founder and executive director. “The School District of Lancaster gets to be leaders. There is a mental See SWAN pg 4
leaves” said Marie, who is creating a game called LEAFO that will be similar to bingo. Twenty Purple People have completed the program, and up to seven attend the monthly meetings. Marie’s interest in starting Purple People was born of a trip to Russia she took in 2013 with her husband, Richard. Through a New York state violet grower, the couple was able to meet Vladimir Kelgin, known as the man who brought African violets to Russia, at his violet shop in Moscow. Kelgin explained to Marie that violets are only for beauty. “They aren’t like potatoes (that you can eat),” said Marie. “He wanted to bring beauty to Russia.” Following the tr ip, Mar ie has kept in touch with Kelgin when he visits the U.S. “I have this ring that is engraved with the Russian word for violet,” said Marie. “It’s to remind me of his hospitality and what he’s doing bringing beauty to the
R u ss i an p e ople. I kept thinking I could bring beauty to The Factory participants.” In November 2023, when she was a vendor at the Mid-Atlantic African Violet Society show in Gettysburg, Marie entered a number of plants she had showered with extra love and attention. She won f ive best in class awards, along with best miniature and semi-miniature in show. “I was f loating,” recalled Marie. “I never (expected to win). That gave me a real lift.” For more information about the next Purple People session, readers may call 717-687-9594. Marie Glass with a few of her many African violets
Don’t distract the dog! Service animal etiquette shared BY ANN MEAD ASH
It started with a Facebook post that alerted readers as to what to do if approached by a lone dog in a service vest. The post advised following the dog because the canine’s person might be in trouble. While the advice seemed reasonable, suspicion of such posts alerted this feature writer to seek an opinion from the staff of United Disabilities Services (UDS) service dog program. Puppy coordinator Kr isty Conrad confir med that the United Disabilities Services service dogs (from left) Quincy, Josh, and advice is good. “If a service dog Lacey hope that people will not interrupt them when they are working
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arie Glass, former Pequea Valley School District teacher and current volunteer at The Factory Ministries, cannot remember how she first became interested in African violets, but she knows she first started growing them in the 1970s. Marie’s early ventures with the tiny purple flowers involved fellow members of a Leacock Presbyterian Church Sunday school class who worked with her to grow hundreds of plants that were sold in the church basement to raise funds for the newly opened Welsh Mountain Medical Center. “We sold starter plants for 25 cents a pot,” recalled Marie, who stated that the same size plant now sells for nearly $10. “We sold enough to make $1,800 for the medical center.” Two years ago, Marie started Purple People, a series of eight
classes held each spring at The Factory. “Every week we learn about a different type of violet and the people who grow them,” said Marie, who provides all the supplies and literature for the classes. “We learn about bugs and diseases.” Students are also familiarized with the resources to identify violets registered with the African Violet Society of America. “There are about 15,000 international registered violets,” said Marie, who keeps 450 varieties among the 600 plants at her home. Marie shares stories of hybridizers, some of whom have faced great adversity, to offer encouragement to students. During the eight weeks, participants learn how to grow their own violets and fix their mistakes. A flower show is held at the end of the sessions, and the students officially become “Purple People.” The group meets the second Thursday of every month at The Factory. “We discuss and share
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BY ANN MEAD ASH